Inflation, Istat data: +1.3% rising again in March

Inflation rises in March. According to data released today by Istat, the consumer price index (HIPC) rose by 0.1% on a monthly basis and by 1.3% on an annual basis (from 0.8% in February). The acceleration of the inflation rate measured by the Nic is mainly due to the attenuation on a trend basis of the decline in the prices of unregulated energy goods (from -17.2% to -10.3%) and regulated ones (from -18% to 4% to -13.8%) and, to a lesser extent, to the growth of those of transport-related services (from +3.8% to +4.4%); on the other hand, the prices of unprocessed food goods (from +4.4% to +2.6%) and tobacco (from +2.6% to +1.9%) recorded a slowdown.

The trend trend in the prices of goods records a less marked decline (from -0.9% to -0.1%) and that of services is slightly accelerating (from +2.9% to +3.0%), determining a decrease in the inflationary differential between the services and goods sectors (+3.1 percentage points, from +3.8 in February).

The cyclical increase in the general index mostly reflects the growth in prices of transport-related services also due to seasonal factors (+1.4%), processed food goods and regulated energy goods (+0.7 % both) and non-durable goods (+0.4%). The effects of these increases were only partially offset by the decrease in the prices of unregulated energy goods (-1.9%) and unprocessed food goods (-0.7%).

«An increase in inflation equal to 1.3% per year means an increase in expenditure for families of up to 400 euros per year depending on the number of children». These are the calculations of the National Consumers Union, which thus comments on the data released this morning by Istat. «For a couple with two children, inflation at +1.3% means, despite the savings on housing and electricity equal to 318 euros, an increase in the cost of living equal to 309 euros on an annual basis, of which 257 euros are only needed to cope with the 3.2% increase in food and drink prices”, explains president Massimo Dona.

For a couple with 1 child, the additional annual expense “is equal to 259 euros, of which 233 euros more are needed for eating and drinking”, while for an average family “it is 185 euros for food products and non-alcoholic drinks”. But in the case of a family with 3 or more children, the expense skyrockets to “339 euros, +305 just for food and drink”, highlights Dona.